


In The Seconds Between The Breath

by Ribbons_Undone



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Epilogue, First Date, First Time, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Ohmiya - Freeform, Personal Growth, Smut, four years later, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:16:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24321904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ribbons_Undone/pseuds/Ribbons_Undone
Summary: It has been four years since they've seen one another, and Nino isn't sure he knows who Ohno is anymore.
Relationships: Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Comments: 14
Kudos: 17





	In The Seconds Between The Breath

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read the main story, please check it out [HERE](https://regaime.livejournal.com/60161.html). MAJOR spoilers for the original fic. 
> 
> The themes here are ones of nostalgia, of second chances, of coming to terms with the people in our lives who have changed and the difficulty of navigating that change. The song that popped into my head when I was writing this was Dave Matthews "The Space Between". It more or less inspired the title.

_In The Seconds Between The Breath_

Nino stared down at the phone in his hand.

A date. He had a date. He, Ninomiya Kazunari, had a date.

_With Ohno._

It had been four years. He hadn’t been on an actual _date_ in nearly five. Ever since Koichi had dumped him.

Nino breathed out a soft sigh of relief. Four years was a testimony to how much in his life had changed. He could actually think through that sentence without it leaving a gut-wrenching feeling in his stomach.

He’d been a slave to that man…just as Ohno had once been one to _him_.

But no, Ohno had never been his. Not really. Ohno was his own man, a new man. If he was honest, Nino didn’t know _who_ he was anymore. Their lives had parted, gone their separate ways. But he never forgot Ohno, never really moved on. He just stayed stuck in one place.

He had left _for_ Ohno. And he was _glad_ that he had. Ohno moved on with his life, actually built something worth having.

Nino had never once expected this, though. Thought about it, sure. Dreamed and begged and pleaded kami-sama for it but never expected it to actually happen.

And then that morning he had run into him at Ohno’s art exhibit, and they had gone for coffee, and they had talked…

And Ohno still wanted Nino to be a part of his life. Even after all these years and everything that had happened between them.

_And Nino had told him he loved him._ What’s more, Ohno had said it back.

So the fact that Nino had a _date_ of all things with this man was…was…ludicrous to say the least. Far too surreal for Nino to handle. He had an hour to get ready for this date and his head was still spinning like he was in middle school.

_Ohno had kissed him_.

Of course it hadn’t been the first time. But it had been the first time in four years. The first time since this new-and-improved Ohno took control and started calling the shots. This new Ohno, confident and at ease in his own skin…who seemed to know exactly what he wanted… and Nino just didn’t know what to do or how to act, or what to _wear._

So he had called Jun.

He was sorely regretting this choice in hindsight, because now Jun was in his apartment, throwing clothes on the bed for him to try on. Nino had already been through about twelve different outfits but nothing he owned seemed to be good enough for _Matsujun, fashion perfectionist_.

Nino held out his arms with a look on his face that said, _well, how about this one_?

Jun surveyed him like he was dressing to meet the emperor—one hand tucked under his armpit, the other in a fist in front of his face. Nino wondered if the thick silver ring on his finger would leave an imprint when he finally made up his mind.

“No, no. Take it off.” Matsujun’s hand dropped and yes—there was a slight indent where the ring had pressed into his chin.

“For fuck’s sake, Jun,” Nino growled, tearing his shirt off over his head and throwing it into the discarded pile of abused clothing on the floor. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’ve got less than ten minutes. Fucking _pick something_ or I swear to God I am throwing on my favorite gaming shirt and a pair of sweatpants.”

“Not the green one!” Matsujun looked at him, horrified.

“Yup, that one. Now pick something. Fast.”

“Hey, you’re the one who asked for my help,” Jun argued. He rummaged around in Nino’s closet again.

“My mistake. I should have called Sho.” Nino said.

Matsujun scoffed. “Then you really would have ended up in sweatpants. God, imagine it.” Jun made a face.

After two more grueling minutes he picked something and tossed it to Nino.

“Ok try that.”

“I’m only putting this on if you’re sure,” Nino told him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Matsujun said. “Maybe if you told me who this mystery date was, I would have something better to go on.”

Nino pulled on the soft blue-gray v-neck and black three-quarter lengths blazer that Jun tossed to him. They had at least picked out the bottoms—Nino’s most stylish pair of designer jeans. Just rugged enough to make his date wonder what was underneath, but not so torn to shreds that he thought Nino couldn’t afford a new pair. At least, that’s how Matsujun had described them. To Nino, they were just jeans.

“I told you, it’s no one you know,” he lied, straightening the jacket. He held out his arms for Matsujun’s approval.

“It’ll do,” Jun said. He dragged a large purse on the bed closer to him and began rummaging around for the appropriate accessories. Nino grabbed a bottle of cologne and gave himself a few sprits while Jun dug through the bag.

Jun came up for air with a thin black scarf and matching fedora. He placed these items on Nino like he was some sort of dress-up doll, then stood back to admire his work.

“Okay, I think that’s the best I can do.” Jun sighed. “I wish you had called earlier.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Nino insisted.

He hadn’t told Jun the date was with Ohno for a number of reasons. One, he didn’t want anyone to know in case things went horribly. Two, he didn’t want Jun to make a big deal out of it, and three, he didn’t want Jun telling anyone until Nino was _sure_ Ohno was back in his life to stay.

And four, because if he had told Jun the truth, Jun would have dragged him to the hair salon and the nail salon—and whatever other salons Jun frequented—and then he would have insisted they go _shopping_. And then the torture of the last hour would have been _six_ and probably close to his paycheck for the week. Nino would have ending up looking like a fucking magazine ad and would have shown up to his date feeling physically exhausted and even more off-balance than he felt right now _._

So he had lied and pretended the date was with ‘some guy’ he’d met at a coffee shop. Which was more or less true in a way.

Nino grew warm just thinking about it. About Ohno’s lips on his. He pulled the collar of the v-neck away from his collarbone and attempted to breathe a little easier.

Ohno said he had an interview for a magazine article and had left soon after, but they’d exchanged numbers before he did and made tentative plans to catch up in earnest.

And then Ohno had asked him out. The very same day. About the time the magazine interview would have been over and he’d be getting home, Nino guessed.

Four years, and Nino’s head was spinning from how fast things were moving but he had said yes because _how could he not_ and in a way he was glad they weren’t wasting any more time.

That still didn’t make up for the fact that he felt like an absolute moron when it came to romance. But Ohno had asked _him_ , so did that mean he was playing the suitor? Should he hold the door open for Ohno? What if Ohno held the door open for him? Would he pay for dinner? Should Nino offer and fight him for the check or would that be too much? Oh God—if he did pay, did that mean Nino had to put out?

“Nino? Hello-o? Earth to Nino!” Jun waved a hand in front of Nino’s face. Nino gasped and jumped a little. “What the hell, Nino, you spaced out for a minute there,” Jun said. Jun peered at his friend, the wheels turning in his head. “You must really like this guy,” he deduced.

“Crap! I’m gonna be late!” Nino grabbed his wallet and keys and ran for the door, saved from having to answer.

He heard Jun calling after him.

“Remember to use a condom, and don’t drink anything that tastes funny!”

\---

They met in front of Shibuya Station—the Hachiko exit. The crowds were thick in the heavy July air, pressing in around him as Nino fought his way through them to a sign facing the station gate.

Despite running here all the way from his apartment building, Nino was actually a couple minutes early. He wondered what kind of time-demons were playing tricks on him, because he really could have done without the rush. It wasn’t doing anything for his nerves.

Nino picked at the sleeves of his jacket, pulling them down past his elbows. Why couldn’t Jun have picked something with full sleeves? The thing was going to annoy him all night. He glanced around, eyes peeled for his date. He caught sight of Ohno coming through the station gate and gulped. He quickly pulled out his phone, pretending to check his messages so that he didn’t look neurotic when Ohno finally saw him.

A second later the phone beeped and Nino jumped a little, nearly dropping it. A text popped up on the screen.

_‘I see you!’_

Nino held his breath and looked up. Ohno was pushing through the crowd, no more than ten feet away now. He was wearing a deep brown blazer that matched his eyes and a silky navy-blue shirt underneath. Black pants—not jeans, but not suit pants either—something stylish that shimmered under the right lighting.

He was looking at Nino with a wide smile on his face that reached all the way to his soft brown eyes.

Nino’s world skidded to a halt at that look, and suddenly everything he had been nervous about left him. He let out his breath and smiled back.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Ohno apologized. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

“Just a couple of minutes,” Nino assured him.

There was an awkward silence for a second. Ohno leaned in a little, like he wanted to kiss Nino but thought better of it. Nino flushed and felt his anxiety from before pick back up a notch.

“You uh, you look really nice,” Ohno said, breaking the silence. He blushed a little, and Nino wondered if he was nervous too.

“Um. Thanks,” Nino said. “S-so do you,” he added, remembering proper date etiquette. “So, uh, where are we going?”

“There’s a restaurant not far from here,” Ohno said, “Is Italian okay with you?”

“Um…” Nino thought about that. He didn’t really care about the food, but was he dressed fancy enough for Italian? He didn’t exactly frequent fine dining establishments. Why hadn’t Jun given him any tips about _that_ while he’d been helping Nino get ready? “Do they have hamburgers?” he blurted.

Ohno laughed. “I doubt it,” he smiled warmly. “But we can go someplace else if you like.”

“N-no, it’s fine. Sorry, dumb question,” Nino rushed to say. “Italian is pizza and pasta right? That’s fine with me.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

“No, really, it sounds…it sounds nice.” Nino looked at the ground. “Sorry, I’m just…I’m a little nervous,” he admitted. A faint blush warmed his face.

Ohno’s hand slipped into his.

“Come on, our reservation is at 8:30.”

Nino allowed himself to be pulled down the street by Ohno. He stared at the place where their two hands met, feeling the warmth of Ohno’s hand seep into his palm. He was still waiting for it to hit him—for his mind to accept that this was _happening_. That he wasn’t just dreaming this all up.

“Nino?”

Nino lifted his eyes to find Ohno looking at him. There was a hint of concern on his face. Probably because Nino was trailing behind him instead of walking next to him and making small talk on their way to the restaurant. That’s what normal dates did, right?

“Sorry,” he apologized again. If it was a normal date, he would just make up some dumb excuse for his weird behavior, but this was _Ohno_ and the thought of treating him like someone who didn’t matter to him made Nino a little queasy. “I still can’t believe this is happening,” he said instead. God, but he was really dishing out the clichés tonight.

“Yeah, me too,” Ohno agreed. He squeezed Nino’s hand and stepped a little closer. Suddenly there was a hand at the back of his neck and Ohno’s lips were on his for the second time that day.

Nino kissed him back, bringing his free hand up Ohno’s shirt to rest at his collar. They made out in the middle of the sidewalk for a long minute before Ohno pulled back and smiled at him.

“Not exactly normal to do that before the date,” Nino pointed out. He chuckled nervously, and it felt like his whole face was on fire.

“We’re not exactly a normal couple,” Ohno replied.

_A couple._ Damn, Nino liked the sound of that. Which was why he slipped his hand behind Ohno’s neck and pulled him down to his lips again. Nino opened his mouth a little and Ohno’s tongue slipped in, rolling against his own. Nino gave a little moan and pressed him closer.

The next time he took a breath, Nino completely forgot about the four years stretching between them.

“We could always skip dinner.” The words slipped out before he could stop them. At some point between Ohno kissing him and him kissing Ohno, Nino had also forgotten tact and his dignity along with it.

“But um…I’m hungry,” Ohno said. He pouted a little, and Nino’s breath caught in his throat.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have—that was a dumb thing to say.” Nino fumbled around in his brain for the right words. “After you went through all the trouble to make the reservations,” he added.

“So, dinner and then…Nino for dessert?” Ohno said. He grinned, and somehow managed to look both sweet and innocent and sexy and mischievous at the same time.

Nino’s mouth dropped open as all thought drained down to the bulge in his pants.

Ohno kissed him again, which was good because Nino had no idea what to say to _that_.

They started walking again, and the conversation felt forced but not in a bad way. They arrived at the restaurant around ten minutes later and then what followed was every bit your normal, average dinner date.

Except that the restaurant was by far the fanciest Nino had ever been to. That much was clear. Elegant and modern in soft tones of tan and white—when the dim lights hit it the furniture the room glowed in shades of gold. The waiter showed them to the patio, toward the back near a large potted bamboo. They were up above the city, and the air was cooler here. The slightest wind caressed Nino’s cheek as the first stars of the night poked through the thin veil of twilight.

Nino let out a breath. He was so far out of his element here it was ridiculous. The waiter pulled the chair out for him and he sat numbly, staring at the place setting and wondering which fork he was supposed to use first. He watched Ohno calmly allow the waiter to drape a cloth napkin over his lap.

The waiter came around the table to perform the same courtesy for him, and Nino tried not to shift his weight despite how uncomfortable he felt. Then Ohno caught his gaze from across the table and smiled. Nino’s shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch and he took the menu offered to him.

Ohno ordered a bottle of wine, and Nino pretended to know what a _chianti classico_ was when Ohno asked if it was something he liked. When they ordered, the crisp Italian phrases flowed over his artist’s lips like the wine into their glasses, whereas Nino stumbled over them, just as he had nearly choked on that first sip of cherry-bright liquor.

Nino couldn’t help but feel the gap of years between them. This new Ohno was a complete stranger to him. He was only an arm’s length away, but it felt like the other side of the world to Nino. Memories from their past roiled under his skin. All the history between them…

He didn’t want to be the one to bring it up again. Maybe because they were trying to start fresh, maybe because it would inevitably ruin the mood, or maybe because there just wasn’t a good way to reconcile what had happened back then.

Sure, they had talked over coffee, but this felt different to Nino somehow. For the first time since he met Ohno that morning, Nino questioned whether them getting back together was really the best thing for him.

What if Ohno had changed _too_ much? What if they didn’t connect the way they had back then? What if they had nothing in common other than… _that_?

“Nino?” Ohno’s soft voice broke through Nino’s endless worrying. He looked up from his meal into familiar brown eyes.

_Eyes he never thought he’d see again._

“Sorry, I was thinking about…” Nino trailed off, poking his fork into the tight curl of pasta in the middle of his plate. He frowned. It seemed like all he was doing tonight was apologizing.

“It’s okay if we talk about it,” Ohno said, his voice quiet. When Nino didn’t say anything at first, he insisted, “I really am okay with it.”

“I—I didn’t want to ruin the mood,” Nino blurted. “But it feels strange, acting like we’re…a normal couple.”

Yeah, this was _way too heavy_ a conversation for a first date. Nino grimaced, and suddenly didn’t really feel like eating.

“That’s what I’d like us to be,” Ohno replied. He was staring at his own dinner—Nino saw it when he chanced a look at him. “I’m not that person anymore, Nino.”

“I know.” Nino took a deep breath. “Last thing I want is for us to move backwards,” he admitted.

“Then let’s just pretend it didn’t happen,” Ohno said, “Just for tonight. I don’t mean forever. It will always be a part of us. But for tonight, let’s just take a breath and pretend it isn’t.” He gave Nino a little smile, like he needed this because…because maybe this was hard for him too. All this dredging up the past.

“Sor—” Nino bit his tongue. Apologizing for everything wasn’t helping. “Okay,” he said instead, “I can do that.” If it was what Ohno wanted, then he could do anything.

So he did. And again things felt forced, the conversation limping along between bites, but he stuck with it and got through the meal without bringing it up again.

And then the check was there, and Ohno took it from the waiter before it even hit the table.

“Forgive me for intruding,” the waiter said politely, “But you’re that new artist I’ve heard about, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Ohno said. “If you want I can sign something other than this.” He gestured to the receipt and laughed. The waiter brightened.

“That—that would really make my day!” he exclaimed, dipping into a bow, “My daughter and I are huge fans.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Ohno replied easily, like he’d done this a million times before. “I love meeting people who appreciate my work.”

Nino stared at the two as the waiter produced a notepad. Ohno penned a note to the waiter and his daughter and then added his signature at the bottom. He handed the notepad back graciously.

“Thank you so much!” The waiter bent in half, bowing deeply. Ohno just chuckled and thanked him in return. He fished a few notes and the correct amount of change out of his purse and then handed over the bill.

They left soon after, stepping into the warm July air. Nino felt a little off-balance from Ohno’s open display of fame and fortune back at the restaurant, and didn’t know what to say. Again he felt the gap of four long years stretch between them.

“Nino,” Ohno said softly. He slipped his hand in the one hanging by Nino’s side. “Are you okay?”

“I just…” Nino couldn’t help it. He was going to ruin this after all. “I feel like I don’t even know you anymore,” he said quietly. “But I guess I never really knew you back then, did I? So the person I fell in love with—”

He broke off, trying to stem the dam before he said everything he had been feeling the entire time they were at the restaurant. But he was never that strong. The words gushed out in a rush, loosened by the knot in his chest.

“I fell in love with this twisted idea of you, and now you’re standing here in front of me and you’re this brand new person and I honestly don’t know where I fit into any of this.” His throat burned, and Nino could feel tears springing up behind his eyes. He continued blindly, the words pressing against his chest.

“And I’m still the same person I was four years ago,” he admitted, “I never moved on. I haven’t changed at all.”

Nino choked on a sob, swallowing the emotion down so that he wouldn’t fall to pieces in front of Ohno. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, willing the tears away while he took long, ragged breaths.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and then Ohno was pulling him into a hug. Nino couldn’t hold it in any more. A mangled sob escaped through the force of his weakening will, and then the floodgates opened wide and he was sobbing wholeheartedly into Ohno’s shoulder. He was shaking and smearing snot all over Ohno’s nice jacket, but Ohno didn’t say anything, didn’t complain, just held him gently and let him cry out everything he’d kept bottled inside these past four years.

“You have changed,” Ohno murmured once the sobbing stopped. He hugged Nino a little tighter. “Maybe you can’t see it, but I can.”

“I really haven’t, Ohno,” Nino disagreed. “I’m not any stronger than I was back then.”

“Don’t need you to be strong for me, Nino.” Ohno buried his face in the crook of Nino’s neck. “I just need _you_.”

Nino relaxed at that, and pulled Ohno a little closer. Was it really that simple?

“So, uh…” Nino said a little hesitantly, “You still want…d-dessert?”

Ohno’s response was a little hum and a kiss to the hollow of his neck.

“My place isn’t far from here,” Ohno said, “If that’s okay with you.”

“Uh.” Nino blinked. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

He let Ohno pull him in the right direction, a little stunned by…well, everything, but topping the list that very moment was the fact they were going to _Ohno’s_ place. Funny, but Nino had just assumed they’d go to his.

“I thought you rode the train here,” Nino said, attempting small-talk.

“No, the station’s just easier to pass through,” Ohno said. “I’m actually not that far from you.”

They passed Omotesando Station, and Ohno led him toward a tall apartment building. Nino stumbled, looking up at the large, glamorous building. He read the sign on the border wall. _Minami Aoyama Dai-Ichi Mansions._

“You live _here_?” he blurted. He couldn’t believe his eyes. They were somewhere in Minato-shi, sandwiched between Omotesando Hills and Roppongi Hills.

“You make me sound like some kind of celebrity,” Ohno laughed, tugging Nino’s hand when he stopped for a second to stare at Ohno blankly.

“You are a celebrity,” Nino pointed out.

“True, but…it’s not like I’m a movie star. I’m just an artist.”

Nino snorted. They’d reached the elevators. Ohno dropped his hand to key in the special passcode to get to his floor.

“ _Just an artist_ ,” he mocked. _His_ building’s security was plain old lock and key. They didn’t even have an elevator, and Nino lived on the tenth floor.

“Well, when you say it like that…” Ohno gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

The elevator dinged. Ohno was on the sixth floor, number 610.

Ohno unlocked the door to a much-roomier-by-comparison _mansion_ than Nino’s dingy apartment on the far side of Shibuya station. He slid out of his shoes and bit out a compliment like a normal date would about how nice Ohno’s place was and thanked him for inviting him over.

It was _a lot_ nicer than Nino’s place. It was clean, for one—things actually had a place instead of being thrown haphazardly on whatever surface had been nearest at the time. Nino vaguely wondered if Ohno paid for a cleaning lady.

“Would you like a drink?” Ohno asked, snapping Nino out of his thoughts.

“Uh…sure.”

He followed Ohno to the kitchen, where he opened up a stainless steel monster of a fridge and handed Nino a beer—from some sort of craft brewery Nino had never even heard of. He opened it and took a long drink, his mind screaming at him. _Who was this person!?_

“Nino?”

Shit. He was doing it again. He was comparing Ohno to the broken soul he’d known four years ago. Nino forced himself to look at Ohno. _Actually_ look at _him_ , not the ghostly memory of him that his brain liked to project on top of this current, newer version.

“Sorry,” he said, a little guiltily.

Ohno stared at him with a slight frown on his face but didn’t say anything. The tension between them was snapped taught, and suddenly the bottle in his hand felt extremely heavy.

Then it was gone as Ohno took it from him and set it on the counter next to his own. Nino held his breath as Ohno reached out his hand and placed it lightly on the side of Nino’s face. Nino closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the softness of Ohno’s palm against his cheek.

Then Ohno was kissing him and some of the tension melted away.

The kiss became fervent and heated in a flash, as four years’ worth of waiting crashed into the present moment. Ohno pushed Nino back up against the fridge, rocking it a little. Nino’s shoulder blades smarted, but he honestly didn’t care. Ohno’s hands were in his hair, and his were sliding up Ohno’s rough back…

Ohno pulled away, pinning Nino with a fiery look Nino had never— _never_ seen before. He drew in long breaths of air, wondering briefly how Ohno wasn’t also out of breath before the man crushed his lips to Nino’s again.

Nino moaned a little and opened his mouth wide. Ohno’s tongue slipped in past his lips. His hands gripped Nino a little harder as he slid his tongue against its wet and waiting partner. Nino moaned again—louder this time and pressed his hands into the scars on Ohno’s back.

Again, they broke apart. Nino felt something heavy falling away between them. The years they were apart, the things they had been through—the Ohno he remembered. Every kiss, every touch felt like that man was disappearing a little more, replaced by _this_ Ohno—the one in front of him tonight. The artist who knew about Italian wine and proper table etiquette and lived in this classy _mansion_ drinking his fancy craft beer. Its subtle bitterness was still on Nino’s tongue.

“ _Satoshi,_ ” Nino breathed into Ohno’s mouth, wanting more.

Ohno hummed and pulled back his head a little.

“That’s the first time you’ve called me that all night.” He gave Nino a tight smile. There was a hint of sadness, of past pain in his expression, but overall he seemed relieved—pleased even.

Nino slipped a hand behind his head and leaned in to cover Ohno’s mouth with his own, erasing more of the man he used to be.

“I love you,” he murmured when their lips pulled apart.

“Love you too, Nino,” Ohno echoed.

“Call me Kazu.” Nino’s breath hitched. He’d said it without thinking. The last person to call him that had been Koichi—but that had been nearly five years ago.

“Kazu,” Ohno said, his voice dripping with warmth and desire. His mouth was open and hovering over Nino’s, one hand behind Nino’s head and the other pressed into the middle of his chest, right over his heart.

“I love you, Kazu,” Ohno said again.

“Satoshi…” Nino dragged his mouth closer, breathing in Ohno’s affection like it was the air between them.

And then Ohno’s mouth was pressed to his again and he forgot what air tasted like.

“Bed,” Ohno managed to push between their lips.

Ohno’s hands bunched in his shirt—pulled him away from the fridge and backed him out of the kitchen toward what Nino could only assume was his bedroom. Something slipped to the floor, and Nino stumbled, tripping over it. Then he was falling backward on a soft, plush, duvet-covered mattress. Ohno’s hands were under his shirt and his lips were at Nino’s navel.

Nino struggled to breathe as Ohno placed a kiss just above his waistband.

“Sato—” the rest of Ohno’s name came out in a sort of half-groan, half-growl.

“Kazu,” Ohno breathed against his skin. He pulled back a little and pulled Nino’s rumpled v-neck over his head. Nino shook it loose, wondering when he had lost his jacket.

Ohno was straddling him on the bed. Nino placed his hands over Ohno’s hip bones while the man shrugged out of his blazer and tossed it to the floor with Nino’s t-shirt. The fabric of his button-up was silky and soft, and Nino ran his hands over it and under it, not knowing which he loved more—the feel of Ohno’s shirt or the smoothness of his hot skin under Nino’s fingers.

Ohno pulled the shirt over his head, Nino doing a lousy job of pretending he was helping. He watched the blue silk flutter to the floor before Ohno dipped down to kiss him again.

Fingers at the clasp of his pants. Nino arched his hips and groaned into Ohno’s mouth from the anticipation alone. He had been hard since the kitchen, and now his cock ached to be set free. He thought maybe Ohno felt this, because his eyes grew smoky and dark. Ohno undid the button, pulled the zipper open, then slid his hands under Nino’s waistband and pushed his pants down around his thighs.

Nino’s cock popped free, red and hard and ready. Ohno took it at its base and took it whole into his mouth without hesitation.

Nino moaned loudly, his back arching again as his head dug into the soft duvet. His hands found Ohno’s hair and latched on, tugging as Ohno sucked him deep into his throat.

Nino tried to restrain himself, but by the third breath his hips bucked and he was thrusting into Ohno’s mouth. He was almost there—almost—

Ohno pulled off with a loud sucking noise and Nino shuddered, groaning.

“Sato—don’t st—s-stop,” he choked out, trying to remember how to speak. He was right at the edge. One more stoke and—

He tried unsuccessfully to push Ohno’s head down, to thrust up into his mouth, but Ohno dodged him and placed his hands on Nino’s hips to press him into the mattress. Nino groaned again, throwing his head back at the injustice of it all.

“N-need you,” he begged, trembling under Ohno’s hands.

Ohno leaned up to kiss him, taking Nino’s open, pliable mouth in his and slipped his tongue across the threshold of his lips. Nino moaned into him, wanton and oblivious to what sort of noises he was making.

His hands flew to Ohno’s pants, fumbling for the clasp. He found it and popped it open, doing the same with the zipper. Ohno’s hands slid under his as he pushed the man’s pants down around his thighs.

Ohno sat back on his heels and stepped off the bed to slip them all the way off. He dropped them to the floor, then tugged Nino’s jeans off too. Socks and underwear came off at the same time, and then there was nothing left between them but a few seconds of empty space.

Ohno crawled back on the bed and covered Nino’s mouth again. When Ohno’s cock dragged against his stomach, he moaned into Nino’s mouth. When they pulled apart, he was panting.

“W-want you, Kazu,” Ohno said a little weakly. Nino nodded against his lips, still hovering over his. He couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t sound cliché.

“Yours,” he managed.

Ohno drew back and rolled him over. Nino obliged, putty under the man’s hands. He’d come down from the edge since Ohno had stopped sucking him off, but now the sensation returned as he pressed his stomach and hard cock into the mattress.

Ohno’s mouth was at the base of his neck, his tongue trailing down the length of his spine. Nino jerked and shivered as it dipped into the hollow of his back, where Ohno placed a slow, wet kiss. He moaned into the bedsheets, rumpling them in his fists. The duvet was scrunched up between his stomach, tangled in the swollen member between his legs. Ohno’s tongue trailed up the arch of his ass, his hands separating Nino’s cheeks so it could reach into the deep trench of his crack. When his tongue hit Nino’s hole, he shuddered violently and cried out.

Ohno licked him slowly around the sensitive ring of skin once, twice, and on the third circle he slipped a finger inside.

Nino groaned and dug his fists into the mattress, pushing back into Ohno’s hand.

“M-more,” he pleaded, his voice husky and strained. Ohno obliged, slipping a second finger in. Nino moaned again. “God, Satoshi, please,” Nino begged, tensing his thighs and pressing his hips away from the mattress, “More.”

A third finger had Nino crying out again, arching his back and craning his neck up toward the ceiling as his body fought against his own need and desire. He tensed and forced himself to relax, pushing back against Ohno’s palm.

Ohno worked him steadily, and Nino could hear him panting in rhythm to Nino’s own breath. He glanced back and saw Ohno with his cock in his other hand, shoving his fingers into Nino’s ass and his cock into his fist to a jerky, off-beat tempo.

Then Ohno leaned over him and grabbed something from the nightstand. There was the crinkle of plastic wrapping and the tell-tale _click_ of a bottle cap opening. Ohno’s fingers never stopped massaging Nino while he prepared himself.

Nino knew what was coming, and trembled in anticipation, waiting for it to happen.

Ohno was so quick and fluid he barely even registered the change before Ohno was lunging into him with a long, drawn-out moan.

It molded with Nino’s own cry, caught in the air above them as they pressed together on the bed. Ohno thrust into him again, his arm around the front of Nino’s shoulders, and placed a wet kiss on the back of Nino’s neck. Nino craned his neck around to capture his mouth in his.

He moaned into the kiss as Ohno half-turned him, so that they were lying flat against one another on their sides. Ohno reached over the slope of his hips and took Nino’s hard cock in hand. Nino weaved the one not pinned under him through Ohno’s long, silky, dark-chocolate locks.

They rocked together, Ohno thrusting up into Nino’s prostate while he fisted Nino’s cock. Long seconds crashed into one another like meteors falling—some burning up before they could hit home, some smashing down to earth in an explosion of pleasure until the only tempo—the only marking of time—was the deep breaths they stole in the short seconds between kisses and the fast opening and closing between the small of Nino’s back and Ohno’s warm stomach pressing down into it.

He came like a train barreling through a tunnel, bursting out into the light at the other side—blinded from the long miles of darkness pressing around him like a heavy shroud—revitalized and over-sensitized and shuddering as the waves of pleasure took him full-body and poured into his veins like magma.

Nino dimly remembered crying out Ohno’s name when he came, and thought he heard his name echoing off the walls too.

The waves calmed to ripples and Ohno collapsed against him, soft and flushed and slick with sweat—his legs tangled in Nino’s and the sheets under them. His hand was pressed in the middle of Nino’s chest, and Nino could feel his heartbeat reverberating in Ohno’s palm. His lover’s heart pounded against his back, harmonizing with the beat of Nino’s own.

Soft lips pressed into his shoulder. Ohno was still inside him, his body still pressed full-length to his.

“Kazu…” he breathed.

Nino responded with a content hum, resting his head back against Ohno’s chest. Against his heart.

“I could stay like this forever,” Nino murmured.

So they did, or at least until things started getting uncomfortable. Only then did Ohno slip out of him and roll Nino face-first into his chest, where they drifted off to sleep. The man in Nino’s memories slipped away into the shadow of night, forgotten.

\---

Nino awoke to the sun peaking in through the drawn blinds. For a moment, he felt the disorientation of waking up in a strange bed. Then he grinned and hummed happily when he remembered whose it was. His body felt pleasantly sore and stretched.

“Good morning,” Ohno murmured against his skin. The man placed a warm kiss wherever they were, which happened to be just above Nino’s breast-bone.

“Morning,” Nino greeted back.

They dozed in each other’s arms, bathed in the dim morning light. In the seconds between their breaths, Nino felt a warmth tingle and then glide under the place where Ohno had kissed him. Soon it filled his entire chest, blooming out of the fabric of his skin and into the soft cotton sheets. Where his skin touched Ohno’s, the sensation flamed, flushed, and quieted.

It was the feeling of rightness, of deliverance, of coming full circle and parking home.

It was the feeling of love.

_End_

**Author's Note:**

> The restaurant Ohno and Nino go to is Casitas in Shibuya. You can find it [HERE](http://www.casita.jp/casita/) Check out the gallery to see the patio where Ohno and Nino sit. The place where Ohno lives is [HERE](https://goo.gl/maps/5MXvfCkxvzVdfN2b8). I didn’t pick out a place for Nino…maybe I should have but his apartment was a less important setting so I didn’t.


End file.
